KANPUR, India (Reuters) - Skipper Anil Kumble has not recovered from a groin injury and is doubtful for the third and final test against South Africa that begins on Friday.

India are 1-0 down in the series after losing the second test in Ahmedabad by an innings and 90 runs and the absence of India's most successful bowler would be a massive blow to their hopes of squaring the series.

"Not yet fully (recovered)," a tense Kumble told reporters on Thursday. "I have to wait till tomorrow morning and make a call."

Kumble suffered the injury in the drawn first test in Chennai and has missed just five tests in India (in 2000-1) since he played his first test at home in 1993.

The 37-year-old, who has taken 608 test wickets and is third behind fellow spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne on the all-time list, has just four wickets so far in the series.

He struggled while bowling in the nets on Thursday but said he would play on Friday if he could bowl.

If Kumble misses out, young leg spinner Piyush Chawla and off spinner Ramesh Powar are in the squad alongside Harbhajan Singh.

The India squad did receive some welcome news with teenage pace bowler Ishant Sharma declared fit following foot and finger injuries he suffered during the tour of Australia.

Kumble said he expected his side to bounce back following the loss in Ahmedabad.

"It is not the first time we've lost a test match and need to comeback, we've done that before," Kumble said.

"Whenever we have been pushed to the wall, we've performed exceptionally well."

"In Ahmedabad, it was just one of those tests. It was one bad session we've had in the last six years. We're very proud of our record in India, we'd like to keep it.

"We've a few plans to go ahead and exploit them.

"We are very confident we will be able to do that."

While the match in Ahmedabad aided the seamers, the Green Park ground pitch is bereft of any grass, already cracking up and could quickly deteriorate in the intense sun, which would play into Kumble's, and India's, hands.

Kumble, however, was irked by questions on the pitch, following media criticism the groundsman seemed to be under pressure to provide a pitch to help the Indian spinners.

"There has been lot of talk on the pitch. It looks like a dry surface and it should assist spin as the game progresses.

"Whatever the conditions we need to play good cricket. We're capable of doing that in this test match."